Difference between revisions of "Identify Vintage Beads"
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#*Is there any part of the bead's coloring or finish worn away? This could indicate a reproduction with poor application of paintwork or finishing. | #*Is there any part of the bead's coloring or finish worn away? This could indicate a reproduction with poor application of paintwork or finishing. | ||
#*Are there any specific markings? | #*Are there any specific markings? | ||
| − | #*Check the hole size. A larger hole might indicate an older bead because of the lack of sophisticated cutting tools.<ref>Beading Life, Antique Beads, http://www.beadinglife.com/antique-beads.html</ref> This doesn't always hold, however, as craftspersons who took time and effort to create delicate beads would have been very careful. | + | #*Check the hole size. A larger hole might indicate an older bead because of the lack of sophisticated cutting tools.<ref name="rf1">Beading Life, Antique Beads, http://www.beadinglife.com/antique-beads.html</ref> This doesn't always hold, however, as craftspersons who took time and effort to create delicate beads would have been very careful. |
#*Is the bead carved? [[Clean Ivory|Ivory]], vegetable ivory, and bone were typically carved by hand in older times. Painstaking but definitely beautiful! | #*Is the bead carved? [[Clean Ivory|Ivory]], vegetable ivory, and bone were typically carved by hand in older times. Painstaking but definitely beautiful! | ||
#*Are there any embellishments or settings accompanying the beads? The quality of these can help to establish the age, as older embellishments and settings tended to be of higher quality, and anything that needed to be held in was done so by the embellishment rather than by glue. | #*Are there any embellishments or settings accompanying the beads? The quality of these can help to establish the age, as older embellishments and settings tended to be of higher quality, and anything that needed to be held in was done so by the embellishment rather than by glue. | ||
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*Use a jeweler's loupe or a [[Use a Magnifying Glass|magnifying glass]] to find close-up detail. | *Use a jeweler's loupe or a [[Use a Magnifying Glass|magnifying glass]] to find close-up detail. | ||
*If you're really stumped, take it to an expert for identification. Or, if you're in a store, ask the retailer for advice and signs of proof of the vintage origins. | *If you're really stumped, take it to an expert for identification. Or, if you're in a store, ask the retailer for advice and signs of proof of the vintage origins. | ||
| − | *Bakelite can be tested by running it under hot water. Ordinary plastic won't give off a smell but Bakelite will definitely smell of carbonic acid. Rubbing can also produce this odor.<ref>Wikipedia, Bakelite, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite</ref> A warning - this might end up being a "sacrifice" bead as it might destroy it but if you have a group of like beads and think you can spare one, this method might be handy. | + | *Bakelite can be tested by running it under hot water. Ordinary plastic won't give off a smell but Bakelite will definitely smell of carbonic acid. Rubbing can also produce this odor.<ref name="rf2">Wikipedia, Bakelite, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite</ref> A warning - this might end up being a "sacrifice" bead as it might destroy it but if you have a group of like beads and think you can spare one, this method might be handy. |
| − | *Antique beads are increasingly rare, and will usually be found via auctions or estate sales rather than in an average bead store unless they specialize in them.<ref | + | *Antique beads are increasingly rare, and will usually be found via auctions or estate sales rather than in an average bead store unless they specialize in them.<ref name="rf1" /> |
== Warnings == | == Warnings == | ||
